Apparatus for spreading and guiding fabric widthwise

ABSTRACT

An apparatus includes a pair of rotary discs to be disposed at the opposite side edges of a travelling fabric and a pair of push plates adapted to be moved toward or away from the rotary discs in opposing relation thereto for spreading the travelling fabric widthwise at its opposite selvages. At least two parallel guide rollers are positioned ahead of each of the spreading units with respect to the direction of travel of the fabric at a variable angle with respect to the fabric so as to guide the travelling fabric at each selvage.

1 1 1 me States atent 1191 1111 3,822,448 M10 July 9, 1974 [5 APPARATUS FOR SPREADING AND 3,637,121 1/1972 Alexefi 26/67 x GUIDING FABRIC SE Prima Examiner-Robert R. Macke [76] Inventor: llldeyukl Cho No.30, 6-chome, ry y Zuikodori, Higashiyodogawa ku, Attorney, Agent, or F1rm--Hall & Houghton Japan 1 [221 Filed: Jan. 12, 1972 if l A d. b

apparatus me u es a pair 0 rotary lSCS to e 1s- [21] PP N04 217,337 posed at the opposite side edges of a travelling fabric [30] Foreign Application Priority Data anda pair of push plates adapted to be'moved toward N 16 97 46/1072 9 or away from the rotary discs in opposing relation l 1 l thereto for spreading the travelling fabric widthwise at 52 us. 01. 26/67 its Opposite selvages- At least two Parallel guide rollers [51] Int. Cl. W6C 3/06 are positioned ahead of each of the Spreading units [58] Field 61 Search 26/54 66 67 with respect the'directim travel fthefabri at a variable angle with respect to the fabric so as to [56] References Cited guide the travelling fabric at each selvage. UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures 2,417,447 3/1947 Robertson 26/67 3,335,474 8/1967 Cho 26/54 PATENTED JUL 9 i974 SHEET 1 0F 7 PATENIED JUL 91974 SHEEI 2 (IF 7 Fl /A $1? PATENIEDJUL M 3.822.448

SHEET t BF 7 PMENTED JUL 91974 saw a or 7 PAIENTED JUL 91974 I SBEEI 7 0F 7 Fig.12

1 APPARATUS FOR SPREADING AND GUIDING FABRIC WIDTHWISE The present invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for preventing and correcting turning-up, folding, deviation and creasing of an elongated knitted or woven fabric as it is travelled for rewinding, dyeing or some other treatment or processing so as to ensure proper treatment or processing of the travelling fabric.

The apparatus of the type described heretofore comprises rotary discs to be disposed at the opposite edges of a travelling fabric at one side thereof and push plates to be disposed at the other side of the fabric in opposing relation to the rotary discs, with the grooved rubber face of each of the rotary discs opposing the grooved face of each of the push plates, each of the rotary discs being rotatable in such direction that the inner peripheral side thereof is driven in the same direction as that of the travel of the fabric, each of the push plates being adapted to be moved toward or away from the rotary sii s by t e st mqf, tqus ever flik lfiilfi means extending close to the periphery of the rotary discs and by the operation of suitable actuating means, so that the fabric will be spread while being positively pulled outward or unrolling or unfolding of tumed-up selvages alone will be performed by moving the push plates toward or away from the rotary discs in accordance with the shifting of the selvages of the travelling fabric. However, such apparatus has the drawback that when a push plate is moved toward or away from the corresponding rotary disc, the selvage of the fabric will inadvertently get released from between the two members to impair the accuracy of unrolling of the turnedup selvage and spreading of the fabric. Moreover, if the fabric is slippery due to the presence of a treating solvent, it is difficult to apply the apparatus to the fabric because the selvage can not be gripped completely. The apparatus is further disadvantageous in that fabrics free of turn-ups or folds can be spread only with very low efficiency. The conventional apparatus thus fails to achieve satisfactory unrolling and spreading operatrons.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the type described for spreading and guiding a travelling fabric widthwise which is capable of completely preventing a selvage of the travelling fabric from slipping off from between the corresponding rotary disc and push plate even when the push plate is repeatedly moved toward or away from the rotary disc and which therefore assures improved unrolling of the turnedup selvage and spreading of the fabric and very accurate guiding for unrolling and spreading.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for spreading and guiding a travelling fabric whereby even when the state and properties of the travelling fabric change as experienced with a slippery fabric or unrolled or unfolded selvage, the fabric can be unrolled or spread with high reliability without being influenced by the changes and which is capable of effecting the spreading operation to the desire value in readily adjustable manner.

In accordance with the present invention, the apparatus for spreading and guiding a travelling fabric widthwise comprises means for spreading the travelling fabric widthwise including rotary discs to be disposed at the opposite side edges of the travelling fabric at one side thereof and push plates to be disposed at the other side of the fabric in opposing relation to the rotary discs, each of the rotary discs having a working face, each of the push plates having a working face in facing relation to the working face of the corresponding rotary disc, each of the rotary discs being rotatable in such direction that the inner peripheral side thereof is driven in the same direction as the direction of travel of the fabric, each of the push plates being movable toward and away from the corresponding rotary disc by the action of a touch lever or like sensing means extending close to the periphery of the rotary disc and by the operation of suitable actuating means; and means for guiding the travelling fabric widthwise including at least two parallel guide rollers positioned at each of the opposite side edges of the travelling fabric to the front of the spreading means with respect to the direction of travel of the fabric for passing the travelling fabric therealong, the guide rollers being angularly shiftable at least toward the spreading direction of the fabric widthwise thereof.

According to the apparatus of the present invention, even when a push plate is moved away from the corresponding rotary disc to free the fabric from the gripping engagement or even if the fabric is slippery, shifting of the guide rollers outward permits the rollers to retain the tendency of guiding the fabric selvage outward so as to eliminate any possibility of the fabric being released from between the push plate and the rotary disc and to thereby achieve improved unrolling of turnedup selvage and spreading of the fabric with higher accuracy.

For a better understanding of the present invention, an embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing the arrangement of an apparatus for guiding and spreading a travelling fabric widthwise in accordancewith this invent1on;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevation showing part of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale schematically showing part of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the apparatus in greater detail;

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken along the line IIII in FIG. 4 andshowing the apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a view in section taken along the line III-III of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation showing part of the apparatus in vertical section;

FIG. 9 is a rear view showing part of the guide roller means of the apparatus in vertical section;

FIG.- 10 is a side elevation showing part of the guide roller means in vertical section; and

FIGS. 11 to 13 are diagrams illustrating a pneumatic circuit for automatically shifting the guide roller means angularly.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, an apparatus of this invention will be described briefly. The apparatus in accordance with this invention comprises means for spreading the travelling'fabric widthwise including rotary discs 1 and I to be disposed at one side of a travelling fabric R at the opposite side edges thereof and push plates 2 and 2 to be disposed atthe other side of the travelling fabric R in opposing relation to the rotary discs 1 and 1. Each of the rotary discs 1 and 1 is formed in its working face with two annular projections 3 and 3 made of rigid urethane resin and an annular groove 4 interposed therebetween, each of the push plates 2 and 2 having formed in its working face three arcuate projections 5, 5 and 5 and arcuate grooves 6 and 6 interposed therebetween which are in facing relation to the annular projections and groove of the rotary disc. Each of the rotary discs 1 and 1 are rotatable in such direction that the inner peripheral side thereof is driven in the same direction as the direction of travel of the fabric R, with each of the push plates 2 and 2 being movable toward and away from the rotary discs 1, 1 by the action of sensing means 7, 7, each composed of a touch lever extending close to a corresponding rotary disc 1 and by the operation of actuating means to be described later. Means for guiding the travelling fabric R widthwise are provided including two pairs of guide rollers 41 and 41 positioned at the opposite side edges of the travelling fabric R, respectively, to the front of the spreading means with respect to the direction of travel of the fabric for passing the travelling fabric R therealong, the guide rollers 41 and 41 of each pair being spaced apart by a desired distance and positioned substantially at a right angle with the direction of travel of the fabric R. Each pair of the guide rollers 41 and 41 are manually or automatically shiftable at an adjustable angle at least toward the fabric spreading direction widthwise thereof by angle adjusting means to be described later.

With the apparatus thus constructed, the selvages of the travelling fabric passing between the rotary discs 1 and push plates 2 are generally subjected to unrolling operation by the rotation of the rotary discs 1 to correct turned-ups and folds of the selvages. When the selvage tends to move away from between a rotary disc 1 and push plate 2, the push plate actuating means is pushed to bring the push plate 2 into proximity to the rotary disc 1 and mesh the annular projections and groove of the rotary disc 1 with the arcuate projections and grooves of the push plate 2 so as to cause the selvage of the travelling fabric R to be gripped by virtue of the meshing engagement. Thus, the selvage is unrolled and the travelling fabric is positively spread widthwise for the removal of folds, turn-ups and creases through the rotation of the rotary disc 1. Further if the selvage is deviated outward to be inserted deep between the rotary disc 1 and push plate 2 to excess, the push plate actuating means is freed from the aforementioned pushing action to move the push plate 2 away from the rotary disc, with the result that the travelling fabric is released, permitting the rotary disc 1 only to unroll the selvage through its rotation. In addition to the means for spreading the travelling fabric widthwise, the apparatus of this invention includes the pair of guide rollers 41 and 41 adjustably disposed at variable angles and the selvage of the travelling fabric sent forward from the spreading means is passed along these rollers so that the guide rollers 41 and 41, when inclined outward as shown in FIG. 8, can guide the travelling fabric outward. Accordingly, when a push plate 2 is moved away from the corresponding rotary disc 1 to release the travelling fabric R, or if the travelling fabric tends to slip due to the presence of solvent thereon or if the selvage of the fabric is free of turn-ups, it is assured that the selvage of the travelling fabric will not retract inward from between the rotary disc 1 and push plate 2, ensuring improved unrolling and spreading operation with high accuracy.

With reference to FIGS. 4 to 11, the present apparatus will be described in greater detail.

A gear 10 within a gear box 9 fixed to a rotary shaft 8 of the rotary disc 1 meshes with a gear 12 of a torque motor 11, the gear box 9 being mounted on a subbracket 13. The push plate 2 is substantially in the form of a sector. A pin 14 supporting the push plate 2 at its base is supported on a bearing 16 formed in a diaphragm body 15 which is in turn mounted on a U- shaped arm 17 secured to a sub-bracket 13. The aforementioned push plate actuating means comprises a diaphragm 18 within the diaphragm body 15 and a slidable pin 19 secured to and supported by the center of the diaphragm 18, the front end of the slidable pin 19 being in contact with the rear face of the push plate 2. Disposed behind the diaphragm 18 is a stationary plate 20 the center of which is provided on its rear face with an air supply nozzle 21 facing the diaphragm 18. A spring 22 extends between the push plate 2 and the diaphragm body 15 so as to urge the push plate 2 away from the rotary disc 1, namely toward the diaphragm body 15.

Compressed air supplied between the stationary plate 20 and diaphragm 18 through the air supply nozzle 21 inflates the diaphragm 18 toward the push plate 2 to move the slidable pin 19 against the action of the spring 22, with the result that the front end of the slidable pin 19 pushes the push plate 2 pivotally toward the rotary disc 1, and brings the arcuate projections and grooves of the push plate 2 into mesh with the annular projections and groove of the rotary disc 1 to grip the selvage of the travelling fabric as already described.

A plate 23 is positioned behind the push plate 2 as shown in FIG. 7 and is secured to the arm 17 carrying the diaphragm body 15. A bolt 24 extends through the plate 23 in screw-thread engagement therewith, with its front end in Contact with the push plate 2. By varying the length of the projecting end portion 25 of the bolt 24, the distance of separation of the push plate 2 from the rotary disc 1 can be determined as desired, so as not to permit the spring 22 to retract the push plate 2 from the rotary disc 1 more than is necessary. The plate 23 is further formed with a hole 26 through which extends a bolt 27 implanted in the rear face of the push plate 2. Two nuts 28 and 29 are screwed on the extension of bolt 27. By shifting the nut 29, the position of the push plate 2, as it is brought into proximity to the rotary disc 1 by the slidable pin 19, can be adjusted whereby the push plate 2 is prevented from being brought closer to the rotary disc 1 more than is desired under the action of compressed air.

One air supply tube 31 of an air valve 30 provided on the gear box 9 communicates with the air supply nozzle 21 for the diaphragm by way of an air hose 32, and the other air supply tube 33 of the air valve 30 communicates with a suitable air compressor (not shown). Disposed between the air supply tubed 31 and 33 is an apertured lever 34, secured to a pivot 35 of which is secured a base 36 of the aforementioned touch lever 7. The distal end of the touch lever 7 extends into a slot 37 formed in the plate 23 disposed behind the push plate 2.

Although not shown, the touch lever 7 is so constructed as to be usually movable slightly inward from the proper position of the travelling fabric under the action of a spring or gravity, so that when the selvage of the travelling fabric R deviates inward and tends to retract from between the rotary disc 1 and push plate 2, the touch lever 7 is moved inward to turn the pivot 35, which in turn moves the apertured lever 34, bringing an aperture 38 of the lever into registry with the passage of the air supply tubes 31 and 33 to open the air valve 30. As a result, air from the air compressor is supplied through the air hose 32 and air supply nozzle 21 to the diaphragm 18, causing the associated parts to grip the selvage to spread the fabric. Further if the selvage is deviated outward to move in between the rotary disc 1 and push plate 2 to excess, the selvage pushes the touch lever 7 outward to move the aperture of the lever 34 out of registry with the passage of the air supply tubes 31 and 33 to block the passage, whereupon the compressed air is discharged from the air valve 30 through its opening 39. Accordingly, the inflated diaphragm 18 is restored to the original state to retract the push plate 2 away from the rotary disc 1 and release the travelling fabric, permitting the rotary disc in rotation to perform only unrolling of the selvage.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotary disc 1 is inclined at about degrees with respect to the travelling fabric as it is fed in, whereby the deviation of selvage of the fab ric can be detected smoothly, enabling the push plate 2 to be brought close to or away from the disc with accuracy.

The pairs of guide rollers 41 and 41 disposed at the opposite side edges of the travelling fabric and ahead of the fabric spreading means are covered with rubber. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, each pair-of the guide rollers has parallel shafts mounted on a common arm 47, whose base portion is mounted on a rotatable shaft 44 fixedly carrying a worm wheel 45 meshing with a worm gear 43 within a gear box 42. A rotatable knob 46 on the worm gear 43, when rotated, turns the guide rollers 41 and 41 about the rotatable shaft 44 through the worm gear 43, worm wheel 45 and rotatable shaft 44 so as to adjustably vary the positioning angle of the guide rollers 41 and 41 with respect to the travelling fabric. The adjustment of the positioning angle of the guide rollers 41 and 41 can be achieved by rotating the rotatable knob 46 manually or automatically. For in stance, automatic adjustment can be performed by the following means. As seen from the pneumatic circuit of FIG. 11, a two-position three-way valve is employed as the already mentioned air valve 30. Anair passage 60, extending from the air hose 32 connecting the air valve to the diaphragm 18 of the push plate actuating means, is provided with a check valve 54, an air tank 55 and a control valve 56 for the air tank 55 and terminates at a diaphragm 57 of a diaphragm spool valve (three-position four-way valve) 58. Further extending from the diaphragm spool valve 58 are air passages 52 and 53 which are connected respectively to an air motor 59 for driving the foregoing rotatable knob 46. An air passage 51 communicating with the diaphragm spool valve 58 extends from the air supply tube 31 for supplying compressed air to the air valve 30.

When the selvage of the travelling fabric R deviates inward and tends to retract from between the rotary disc I and push plate 2, the air valve 30 opens under the action of a spring to pass the compressed air from the air supply tube 31 toward the diaphragm 18 of the push plate actuating means to bring the push plate 2 a closer to the rotary disc 1 for gripping the selvage of the travelling fabric. At this time, part of the compressed air flowing through the air hose 32 flows into the air passage 60 to pass through the check valve 54 into the air tank 55 having a suitable capacity. An air flow of the desired pressure given by the control valve 56 actuates the diaphragm 57 of the diaphragm spool valve 58 to bring the diaphragm spool valve 58 to the position shown in FIG. 11, causing the air passage 51 to communicate with the air passage 52 to drive the air motor59 and rotate the rotatable knob 46 in the normal direc tion. Consequently, the guide rollers 41 and 41 are shifted 'angularly widthwise of the travelling fabric toward the spreading direction, whereby the selvage is guided outward, assuring that the rotary disc 1 and push plate 2 will perform the fabric spreading operation. At this time the compressed air supplied to the air motor 59 is discharged from the air passage53.

If the selvage of the travelling fabric R deviates outward to move in between the rotary disc land push plate 2 to excess, the selvage pushes the touch lever 7 to switch the air valve 30 to the position illustated in FIG. 12, thereby interrupting the supply of air toward the diaphragm 18 to discharge the air from this portion. Accordingly, upon retraction of the push plate 2 from the rotary disc 1 the diaphragm spool valve 58 is switched to the position illustrated in FIG. 12 to enable the air passage 51 to communicate with the air passage 53 for the rotation of the air motor 59 in the reverse direction. This further drives the rotatable knob 46 in the reverse direction to angularly displace the guide rollers 41 and 41 widthwise of the travelling fabric inwardly thereof, whereby the selvage is guided to the proper position. At this time, the compressed air supplied to the air motor 59 is discharged from the air passage 52.

Further when the selvage of the travelling fabric R is retained at the proper position, air is supplied neither to diaphragm 18'nor to the air motor 59, because the air valve 30 and diaphragm spool valve 58 are positioned as illustrated in FIG. 13 and the respective air passages are therefore blocked. Accordingly, the push plate 2 and guide rollers 41 and 41 remain as they are.

A principal embodiment of the present invention has been described above for illustrative purposes only. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to this embodimentand that various other modifications and alterations can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of this invention insofar as they do not depart from the appended claims.

I claim:

- 1. In an apparatus for the widthwise spreading of a traveling fabric having rotary discs positioned in operation on one surface of the running fabric at both lateral edges thereof, push plates positioned on the other surface of the running fabric so as to be spaced and opposed to said rotary discs, said push plates each having at least one annular projection and groove formed on a side thereof facing the fabric, said rotary discs each having at least one annular projection and groove formed on a side thereof facing the fabric opposed to said one arcuate groove and projection formed in a corresponding adjacent push plate, means driving said rotary discs in the same direction as the direction of travel of the fabric with respect to the contact surfaces of the rotary discs with the fabric, sensing means adjacent the periphery of each rotary disc for sensing width variation of said fabric, and means for causing a push plate associated therewith to be moved towards and away from the corresponding rotary disc, the improvement including vertically spaced parallel guide rollers positioned forwardly of said rotary discs and said push plates for engagement with opposite faces of each lateral edge of the running fabric, said guide rollers being angularly adjustable with respect to the fabric so as to guide the running fabric at each selvage and pneumatic control means for adjustably varying the positioning angle of said guide rollers and to maintain the selvage of the running fabric in position, said guide rollers being shiftable in synchronism with the shifting of the push plates, said control means comprising two-way three position pneumatic valve means forming first valve means operatively connected on one side to said sensing means and to be actuated thereby upon a detection of width variation of the running fabric, pneumatic actuating means operately connected on one side to the means operating on said push plates to actuate same upon a width variation of the running fabric and operatively connected on the other side to one position of said first valve means, pneumatic motor means operatively connected on one side to said guide rollers to vary the angle position thereof upon a width variation of the running fabric and operatively connected on the other side to another position of said first valve means, three position, four-way valve means forming second valve means operatively connected at one side between said first valve means and the means actuating the push plates and operatively connected at the other side between the pneumatic motor means and said first valve means whereby upon a detection of width variation inwardly or outwardly of the running fabric will cause said first valve means and said second valve means to be actuated to operate said actuating means and said motor means to guide the selvage of the running fabric back to the proper position.

2. In an apparatus for the widthwise spreading of a traveling fabric in accordance with claim 1, wherein said guide rollers are shiftable both in fabric spreading direction and in the opposite direction widthwise of the fabric at adjustably varying angles.

3. In an apparatus for the widthwise spreading of a traveling fabric in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control means further includes means for manually shifting said guide rollers to achieve the desired angular adjustment. 

1. In an apparatus for the widthwise spreading of a traveling fabric having rotary discs positioned in operation on one surface of the running fabric at both lateral edges thereof, push plates positioned on the other surface of the running fabric so as to be spaced and opposed to said rotary discs, said push plates each having at least one annular projection and groove formed on a side thereof facing the fabric, said rotary discs each having at least one annular projection and groove formed on a side thereof facing the fabric opposed to said one arcuate groove and projection formed in a corresponding adjacent push plate, means driving said rotary discs in the same direction as the direction of travel of the fabric with respect to the contact surfaces of the rotary discs with the fabric, sensing means adjacent the periphery of each rotary disc for sensing width variation of said fabric, and means for causing a push plate associated therewith to be moved towards and away from the corresponding rotary disc, the improvement including vertically spaced parallel guide rollers positioned forwardly of said rotary discs and said push plates for engagement with opposite faces of each lateral edge of the running fabric, said guide rollers being angularly adjustable with respect to the fabric so as to guide the running fabric at each selvage and pneumatic control means for adjustably varying the positioning angle of said guide rollers and to maintain the selvage of the running fabric in position, said guide rollers being shiftable in synchronism with the shifting of the push plates, said control means comprising two-way three position pneumatic valve means forming first valve means operatively connected on one side to said sensing means and to be actuated thereby upon a detection of width variation of the running fabric, pneumatic actuating means operately connected on one side to the means operating on said push plates to actuate same upon a width variation of the running fabric and operatively connected on the other side to one position of said first valve means, pneumatic motor means operatively connected on one side to said guide rollers to vary the angle position thereof upon a width variation of the running fabric and operatively connected on the other side to another position of said first valve means, three position, four-way valve means forming second valve means operatively connected at one side between said first valve means and the means actuating the push plates and operatively connected at the other side between the pneumatic motor means and said first valve means whereby upon a detection of width variation inwardly or outwardly of the running fabric will cause said first valve means and said second valve means to be actuated to operate said actuating means and said motor means to guide the selvage of the running fabric back to the proper position.
 2. In an apparatus for the widthwise spreading of a traveling fabric in accordance with claim 1, whereIn said guide rollers are shiftable both in fabric spreading direction and in the opposite direction widthwise of the fabric at adjustably varying angles.
 3. In an apparatus for the widthwise spreading of a traveling fabric in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control means further includes means for manually shifting said guide rollers to achieve the desired angular adjustment. 